Processed meat and poultry encased in natural rubber thread with low nitrosamine

Abstract

The present invention provides rubber articles for single or multiple use food contact which, when used in smoking, curing or cooking meat or poultry, produce a low level of nitrosoamines or nitrosatable amines in the meat or poultry product.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of processing meat or poultry to lower the nitrosamine content therein comprising: at least one of smoking, curing or cooking meat or poultry encased in an elastic net wherein said elastic net comprises natural or synthetic rubber latex vulcanized with a vulcanizing system comprising at least one of zinc diisobutyldithiocarbamate and tetraisobutylthiuram disulfide which vulcanizing system functions to lower the nitrosamine content in said smoked, cured or cooked meat or poultry.   
     
     
       2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said rubber latex is natural rubber latex. 
     
     
       3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said vulcanizing system further comprises at least one of zinc oxide, a fatty acid and sulfur. 
     
     
       4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said elastic net further comprises cotton thread at least partially covering said rubber. 
     
     
       5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said meat or poultry product after said curing, smoking or cooking has an average outer surface preformed nitrosamine concentration of less than about 35 ppb. 
     
     
       6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the average outer surface preformed nitrosamine concentration is less than about 10 ppb. 
     
     
       7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said natural or synthetic rubber latex comprises less than about 100 ppb of preformed nitrosamine. 
     
     
       8. In a method of processing meat or poultry comprising the steps of smoking, curing or cooking meat or poultry encased in an elastic net comprising vulcanized natural or synthetic rubber latex, the improvement comprising: smoking, curing or cooking said meat or poultry encased in an elastic net comprising natural or synthetic rubber latex vulcanized with a vulcanizing system comprising at least one of zinc diisobutyldithiocarbamate and tetraisobutylthiuram disulfide which vulcanizing system functions to lower the nitrosamine content in said smoked, cured or cooked meat or poultry.